


Only You

by ScarletteStar1



Series: I WILL FIND YOU- AU and Canon Divergent Stories about OTPs Reaching Across Time and Space To Be Where They Belong [9]
Category: Fringe (TV)
Genre: AU, Canon Divergence, F/M, Love, True Love, Truer love, Walstrid - Freeform, cuz fringe and alternate universes, fringe forever, truest love, ummmm so like what do you actually call an au in fringe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 19:53:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16002134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletteStar1/pseuds/ScarletteStar1
Summary: Astrid does not know if her dreams are a blessing or a curse. . .   she only knows she cannot wait to go to sleep so she can continue the relationship with the mysterious man who comes to her in her dreams each night.





	Only You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sleepybat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleepybat/gifts).



> Dedicated to a particularly sweet and enthusiastic Fringe fan and Walstrid shipper. This little ship sails with such lovely ship mates, it is just incredible!!! Thanks for the inspiration...

Coffee. Couch. Book on astrophysics. Alpaca shawl. Homemade bread toasted and buttered with a light sheen of strawberry jam.

It was Astrid’s idea of a perfect Sunday morning.

She figured Walter would be at brunch with Peter and the kids for at least a few hours. The man gave new meaning to the term “All You Can Eat”.

Although she found it was incredibly peaceful to stay home and luxuriate in the silent solitude, she found herself checking her watch repeatedly. It was cozy on the couch, but she did not feel at ease. She fought a sense of restlessness, and regretted her decision to stay home from brunch. She should have gone with them.

She looked around the room as if she’d never sat in it before. Her eyes landed on the watercolor butterflies and she smiled. Walter's last anniversary gift to her. She twisted the ring on her finger and bit the inside of her cheek.

Outside the window of their Boston home, it had begun to snow. It was just a light flurry, so she was not worried about Walter getting home safely in extreme weather. She couldn’t quite place her anxiety. She smiled as she opened her book, imagining how he would walk in, full and content, how he would rub his stomach and groan that he’d outdone himself this time and he needed to nap it all off for a few. Life with Walter was both unpredictable and predictable in ways she never would have imagined.

When she shivered, she wasn’t exactly cold. Not exactly. She set the book down and got up from the couch. She heard bells in the distance, chiming the song they played at noon. It was Only You, by the eighties synthpop duo Yazoo. A strange song for a church to be playing.

She rolled over. She opened her eyes and shut them tight.

 _A few more minutes_ , she begged her mind. _Please let me go back there for a few more minutes. I just need a little more of this to get me through another day._

But she was awake. She got up and readied herself for work.

“I know they are just dreams,” she told Olivia. “But they are so detailed. And real. There is this guy, an older man who is supposed to be Peter’s father. His name is Walter, and I’m living with him.”

“The mind is a weird thing,” Olivia sighed. She folded her hands in her lap and waited for Astrid to continue.

“He’s like this mad genius. And he loves to eat. He has this obsession with strawberry milkshakes and Red Vines. He listens to Yes and David Bowie. He can talk for hours about a particular root beer float he was drinking while he was listening to a particular song. Olivia, it’s the most peculiar thing; it’s like we have this entire life together after I go to sleep.”

“Doesn’t sound half bad,” Olivia said. “Does he fold laundry and get all the goop off the silverware when he washes the dishes?”

Astrid laughed. “I’m not sure we’ve ever done laundry or dishes in my dreams, or if we have, I forgot about it.”

“Still, it doesn’t sound half bad,” Olivia smiled.

“Honestly? It’s not. It’s not at all. I. . . well, you’re going to think I’m insane, but it’s like I’m in love with him or something. I think about him all the time. I almost look forward to going to sleep just so I can see his face and hear his voice.” Astrid rolled her eyes and was almost afraid to look at Olivia for fear of what her friend would be thinking of her. But when she did look at Olivia’s face, she saw only a soft look of care and concern. “Do you think I’m going insane?”

“Nope,” Olivia answered, without skipping a beat. “Not even a little bit. Even if they are just dreams, they seem to be a beautiful story of love. I think we all just need something like that from time to time. Consider yourself lucky.”

“Thanks, Olivia.”

“Anytime,” she said and put her hand over Astrid’s.

Later that day, Astrid went up to the top floor of the Federal Building. There was a window that looked out over Boston. Stories above the city, she felt a sense of inner peace and a hope for humanity. She didn’t think about all the individual humans who were darting about and living intricately unique lives, but about the world as a whole, how it was functioning in harmony as one giant machine. Something about it made sense to her and brought her comfort. As she looked out, she thought she felt someone walking up behind her, and thought she heard a whisper, _Can you hear me?_

She whipped around, her tranquil moment utterly shattered. “Where are you?” She yelped to the empty foyer. She was certain the flickering shadow she saw was her mind tricking her into some sort of psychotic folly. She went down to the coffee cart in the lobby and without even thinking she ordered herself a hot chocolate and a bear claw. When she took it outside and found a spot to sit down with it, she looked it in a confused state. “Pastry?” She muttered. “What kind of carnal vagenda have I fallen into?” She heard her own whisper and decided she really was losing it after all. _Vagenda? What does that even mean?_ She threw the snack in the nearest bin and threw herself into her work for the rest of the day.

She worked late and exhausted herself and went home eager for sleep.

When she curled around her pillows, she whispered, “Hey Walter, I’m ready. It’s been a long day and it feels like all I need is to see you. I feel like you’re the only one who understands me anymore.” Her tears soaked her pillow and she couldn’t sleep.

She laid on her back and stared at the ceiling for a long time. Finally, her breath slowed, and the shadows that passed through her room of cars passing on the street outside, lulled her into a sort of sleep.

“Hello my dear,” he said.

“Hey, Walter,” she said. She put her head on his chest and he held her against him. His sweater was old and soft and smelled of memories they had shared. “I missed you.”

“I’m right here,” he said. His voice was soft and his lips were smiling. “Would you care for a butterscotch pudding?” He held up a little dish capped with a perfect dollop of cream. He also had a spoon.

“No thank you, Walter,” she chuckled.

“Good,” he smiled. “Because I actually wanted this for myself.” He sat down on the couch and started to eat it.

“I feel like I’m going crazy during the day and all I want is to go back to sleep so I can be near you.” She sat down next to him and put a hand on his wrist. He stopped eating and looked at her with kind eyes and a furrowed brow. She frowned. “I thought you hated butterscotch because it reminded you of the institution?”

“Right you are, my dear,” he grinned and set the dish down on the coffee table. He turned and embraced her. “You see? You’re remembering.”

“But remembering what, Walter? I’m so confused.”

“Don’t try to make sense of it. Let it make sense of itself. It’s taking longer than I thought it would, but it seems to be working.” He bounced up and down on the couch a little and looked excited.

“I always loved how you could become like a little kid with your joy.” She touched the side of his face. He took her hand and kissed it.

“Yes, well just don’t go trying to mother-hen me,” he grumbled playfully.

“You never did like that, did you? But if I was over protective it was only because I was trying to save you from yourself,” she sighed and then added, “Right up until the end, and then I couldn’t stop you.”

“By then you knew better than to even try, and I thank you for it. The whole universe thanks you for it.”

“So, is this it then? Is this all we’ll ever have? Holding hands in my dreams?”

“I hope not, but honestly, I don’t know. The tech is new and still in experimental format. I must be more careful this time around.” Walter hung his head, then peeked back up at Astrid. “I should not even be trying this, but it’s too hard to be alone, to be without you and Peter and Olivia.”

“What can I do?”

“Just keep believing and listening. And I saw you order that bear claw today. Why on earth would you throw out such a glorious thing?”

“I don't even know why I ordered it in the first place," Astrid said. "I wish there were something tangible I could take with me for when I wake up,” Astrid said.

“Mmmmh, yes. I know. I always wish I could wake up with a root beer. Do you know that they don’t have root beer here? It’s an atrocity! I’ve tried seventy three different ways to invent it (as if it hadn’t already been invented with a tried and true formula!) but something about the atmosphere will not allow for proper flavor profile. It’s just not the same. I have to enjoy all my floats while I dream!”

“Oh, Walter,” Astrid smiled. She pressed her cheek against his. She felt his eyelashes flutter against her cheek. The gentle tickle was almost hypnotic and she felt like she was going to fall asleep within her sleep. But she didn’t.

She woke instead.

Her heart sank before she even opened her eyes.

But then she opened her eyes and sat up. Her breath caught in her chest.

Her room was filled with several dozen butterflies of all shapes, sizes, and colors. They flitted about in the sunlight and alighted on her hands and on the covers over her trembling body. She raised her finger up in front of her face to examine a particularly large and vibrant monarch and as it fluttered away, she gasped and put her hand over her amazed smile.

“Thank you,” she whispered into the morning and she sat very still to listen for anything that might whisper back.

**Author's Note:**

> Walter and Astrid need a happily ever after. . . and if you have read my stuff, I am so angst driven I practically do not believe in happily ever after, except maybe in this case... thank you so much for reading and as you may know, I live for your comments, so please feel free to say hello and I will greet you back!!!


End file.
